Whinlatter

Whinlatter has the longest purpose built mountain bike track in the Lake District, England. Featuring two trails; the red graded Altura sponsored track and the Quercus Trail, a blue graded route.

The Quercus route is 7.5 km of intermediate skilled riding with berms and rock paving for the braver rider, but with easy routes around these features. Whinlatter has built its self a reputation amongst mountain bikers for the stunning single track and technical downhill. However, the Whinlatter Quercus trail is an awesome introduction to a more technical ride with the option to get as involved as you like in the trail. With some serious climbs to get the legs warmed up, the rider is also confronted with high banked berms and wood bridges.

Whinlatter’s Red Route, Altura, is a purpose built track 1600 foot over Keswick. The route professes to be a 19km route with a stunning 15 km of single track. This route is not for beginners with good off road skills and a high level of fitness and stamina needed to attempt the features and tougher sections of the course.

There is a North and South route available on Whinlatters Altura trail so a rider can attempt them separately or join them up.

Some of the most stunning single track in the North of England is situated in Cumbria, England at Whinlatter, 500m above keswick. The Whinlatter area is Forestry Commission run and caters for Mountain Bikers in a welcoming way not often seen by publicly run National parks.

There is a visitor centre, and like most new Forestry visitor centres it is well run and offers several different activities. As well as an alpine style café to keep the active visitors fed, it also has a bike hire shop as well as activities run the by rangers. Whinlatter, although home to some serious red and blue route mountain bike single track also has a day out for the hiker, walker, bird enthusiast and thrill seeker.

For the Whinlatter thrill seeker that doesn’t have a bike – a ‘Go Ape’ course is available which is at many forestry commision sites where Mountain Biking and other sports are undertaken. The course is a combination of zip lines, wire walks, rope climbs and big swings, all from about 40 foot up in the trees.

The café is open all year round but closes a little early in the Winter months. With stunning views of Lake District Mountains, Keswick and Bassenthwaite lake, Whinlatter well worth a visit this summer, what ever activity you do or want to try.